Miles to Go argues that historical poverty reduction methods were effective due to the geographic and familial stability of the population. Therefore, finding nodes of stability could prove helpful in supporting and strengthening the dynamics of modern day families.

Eric Kandel demonstrates that learning occurs even at the cellular level; responding to information from the environment and being able to remember the information in such a way that survival and continuity are enhanced is a fundamental process of living organisms.

Charles Eastman, a Native American writer and physician chronicles his childhood experiences as a native Santee Sioux Indian, illustrating that learning and knowledge is “scrupulously adhered to and transmitted from one generation to another.”

Malcom Gladwell’s book “Six Degrees” underscores how popular theories like “six degrees of separation” and “the strength of weak ties” have grand implications for how we work in our communities.

Peter Drucker examines the emergence of the information society, showing how recent shifts from material production and distribution to the creation and dissemination of knowledge is impacting the foundation of capitalist systems.

Stanford professor Paul Ehrlich argues that humans evolved over millions of years into “small-group animals” that provided safety, stability and protection from outside forces.

However, modern shifts away from “geographic communities” have led to a general loss of social capital, and thus, directly affected the longterm health and stability of individuals and communities.

Shirley Heath 1982 essay demonstrates that the way homes and families organize themselves to focus on language socialization is foundational to children’s success with literacy.

John McKnight argues that the institutionalization of services is destroying our communities, causing citizens to become consumers of services delivered by institutions rather than communities that rely on connectedness and exchange to thrive.

Literacy is not the mastering of basic skills in reading and writing but rather, it is about connecting to the development of oral and written language.

Cremin’s argues that school reform alone will never fix America’s educational shortcomings. Instead, he shows that cultivating learning outside of schools by tapping into the enormous wells of creativity and education within families and communities will be key to closing the wide gaps in learning across the nation.